Neutral-site contests & new arenas highlight NHL preseason schedule
The NHL revealed on Wednesday the full schedule for its 2016 preseason.
The 15-day, 106-game slate kicks off Sept. 25 when the St. Louis Blues host the Columbus Blue Jackets and will feature the first NHL games being played at new arenas in Edmonton and Las Vegas. The Oilers christen their new downtown venue, Rogers Place, when they host the Calgary Flames on Sept. 26. Meanwhile, T-Mobile Arena, the home of the new Las Vegas expansion team starting in 2017, will stage a pair of preseason games. The Los Angeles Kings will face the Dallas Stars on Oct. 7 and then the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 8.
Lumby, British Columbia, will host the Kings and the Oilers for the annual Kraft Hockeyville Canada game on Oct. 2. The Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes then will meet Oct. 4 in the Kraft Hockeyville USA matchup in Marquette, Mich.
Other neutral sites playing host to preseason games include Allentown, Pa. (New Jersey vs. Philadelphia, Sept. 28); Bridgeport, Conn. (Washington vs. NY Islanders, Oct. 1); Halifax, N.S. (Ottawa vs. Toronto, Sept. 26); Hamilton, Ont. (Detroit vs. Toronto, Oct. 7); Kansas City (Washington vs. St. Louis, Oct. 5); London, Ont. (Dallas vs. Florida, Oct. 2); Quebec City (Boston vs. Montreal, Oct. 4); St. Catharines, Ont. (Buffalo vs. Toronto, Sept. 29); Saskatoon (Toronto vs. Ottawa, Oct. 4); Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (Buffalo vs. Carolina, Oct. 5); State College, Pa., (Minnesota vs. Buffalo, Sept. 26); and West Point, N.Y. (New Jersey vs. Florida, Oct. 8).
The 2016-17 NHL regular season opens Wednesday, Oct. 12.
Here's a look at the complete schedule. All times listed are Eastern.
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Sunday, Sept. 25
Columbus (split-squad) at St. Louis (split-squad), 1 p.m.
St. Louis (split-squad) at Columbus (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 26
Ottawa vs. Toronto, at Halifax, N.S. (Scotiabank Centre), 6 p.m.
Columbus at Boston, 7 p.m.
Carolina at Washington, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia (split-squad) at New Jersey (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Philadelphia (split-squad) at NY Islanders, 7 p.m.
Minnesota vs. Buffalo, at State College, Pa. (Pegula Ice Arena, Penn State), 7 p.m.
New Jersey (split-squad) at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
St. Louis at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Calgary (split-squad) at Edmonton (split-squad), 9 p.m.
Edmonton (split-squad) at Calgary (split-squad), 9 p.m.
Los Angeles (split-squad) at Arizona (split-squad), 10 p.m.
Arizona (split-squad) at Los Angeles (split-squad), 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Nashville at Florida (split-squad doubleheader), 3:30 and 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders (split-squad) at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders (split-squad) at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Washington at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Colorado at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Arizona at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
Vancouver at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 28
Detroit at Boston, 7 p.m.
New Jersey vs. Philadelphia, at Allentown, Pa. (PPL Center), 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Dallas at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Anaheim at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
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Thursday, Sept. 29
New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Nashville at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Buffalo vs. Toronto, at St. Catharines, Ont. (Meridian Centre), 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 30
Toronto at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Chicago at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Boston at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Vancouver at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Arizona at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 1
Montreal at Ottawa, 3 p.m.
Boston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Washington vs. NY Islanders, at Bridgeport, Conn. (Webster Bank Arena), 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Anaheim at Arizona, 9 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 2
Dallas vs. Florida, at London, Ont. (Budweiser Gardens), 3 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Columbus, 4 p.m.
Chicago at Detroit, 6 p.m.
Carolina at Minnesota, 6 p.m.
Montreal at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles (split-squad) at Anaheim, 8 p.m.
San Jose at Vancouver, 8 p.m.
Winnipeg at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Los Angeles (split-squad) vs. Edmonton, at Vernon, B.C. (Kal Tire Place), 9 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 3
NY Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Islanders, 7 p.m.
St. Louis at Washington, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Arizona at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
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Tuesday, Oct. 4
NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7 p.m.
Boston vs. Montreal, at Quebec City, Que. (Centre Vidéotron), 7 p.m.
Carolina vs. Buffalo, at Marquette, Mich. (Lakeview Arena), 7 p.m.
Columbus at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Detroit at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Florida at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Anaheim at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Toronto vs. Ottawa, at Saskatoon, Sask. (SaskTel Centre), 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 5
NY Islanders at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Buffalo vs. Carolina, at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (Essar Centre), 7 p.m.
Washington vs. St. Louis, at Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center), 8 p.m.
Colorado at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Arizona at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Anaheim at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 6
Philadelphia at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Boston at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Winnipeg at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Calgary at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 7
Washington at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Detroit vs. Toronto, at Hamilton, Ont. (FirstOntario Centre), 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas vs. Los Angeles, at Las Vegas, Nev. (T-Mobile Arena), 10 p.m.
San Jose at Arizona, 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 8
Columbus at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m.
Philadelphia at Boston, 5 p.m.
Toronto at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Nashville at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
New Jersey vs. Florida, at West Point, N.Y. (Tate Rink, U.S. Military Academy), 7 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Winnipeg at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Vancouver at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Colorado vs. Los Angeles, at Las Vegas, Nev. (T-Mobile Arena), 10 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 9
NY Islanders at Washington, 5 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim, 8 p.m.